INVOLVEMENT IN FISH FARMING AND THE WELLBEING OF YOUTHS IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Youths constitute more than half of the Nigerian populace with strong potential for economic and social development. Nevertheless, due to widespread unemployment and underemployment, their potential to contribute to national development is limited. Government and other stakeholders’ advocacy for greater youth participation in agricultural enterprises as a panacea for unemployment had resulted in improved involvement in Fish Farming (FF). However, empirical evidence on influence of youth involvement in FF on their wellbeing is scarce. Therefore, involvement in FF and the wellbeing of youths in Southwestern, Nigeria were investigated. A five-stage sampling procedure was used. Based on prominence in FF, three states (Oyo, Ogun and Lagos), three Local Government Areas (LGA) from each state and a community from each LGA resulting in nine communities were purposively selected. Membership list of fish farmers registered with the Agricultural Development Programme and fish farmers association in each community were obtained and stratified into young (<35years) and adult (>35 years). Using proportionate sampling to size, 112, 101 and 142 young fish farmers were respectively selected from the sampled communities in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos to give a total of 355 respondents. Interview schedule was used to collect data on respondents’ personal and enterprise characteristics, Level of Involvement (LI: quantity of fish stocked, number of labour, number of ponds, number of cycles per year and years of involvement) in FF, benefits derived in FF, Factors Motivating Involvement (FMI) in FF, perception of FF as a good career option, participation in procedural FF activities, constraints to involvement in FF and wellbeing (objective and subjective). Indices of involvement (low, 18.0-22.5; high, 22.6-38.0), perception (favourable, 11.0-21.9; unfavourable, 22.0-27.0), objective wellbeing (worse-off, 20.0-46.9; better-off, 47.0-55.0), subjective wellbeing (worse-off, 13.0-46.8; better-off, 46.9-65.0) and overall wellbeing (worse-off, 1.0-16.9; better-off, 17.0-30.0) were generated. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression at α0.05. Respondents were mostly male (85.6%), formally educated (97.6%), aged 32.6±3.7 years with 7.6±5.1 years of experience. Respondents had 5.4±4.1 fish ponds, stocked 5,085.0±3.2 fish, produced 2.9±2.3 cycles per year, generated ₦403,464.00 ± ₦3.90 per cycle and employed labour (96.9%). Self-dependency (1.92±1.07) and improved food security (1.90±1.06) were major benefits derived from FF. The FMI in FF were profitability report (2.40±0.8) and self employment opportunity (2.24±0.4). Above half of the youths indicated favourable perception of FF as a career (63.1%), had high participation in procedural FF activities (59.7%) and low LI (59.2%) in FF. Constraints in FF were; inadequate access to capital (1.40±0.8), high cost of feed (1.36±0.7) and high startup costs (1.26±0.8).The youths were mostly better-off in their objective (51.3%), subjective (67.6%) and overall (52.4%) wellbeing. Wellbeing of youths was most predicted by their education (β =0.235), motivation (β =0.149), LI (β =0.120) and decreased by constraints (β=-0.102). Involvement in fish farming impacted positively on the wellbeing of youths in Southwestern, Nigeria, by improving their access to life essentials, ability to meet basic needs, relationships and self-confidence. Fish farming could therefore prove effective in tackling youth unemployment and improving their wellbeing status.